Portable autoclave



Jan. 17, 1967 D. J. BEECHER I I 3,298,776

PORTABLE AUTOCLAVE Filed Aug. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

DONALD J BEEC HER Jan. 17, 1,96 o. JQBEECHER I 3,298,776

I PQR'IA-BLE AUTOGLAVE Filed Aug; 20, 1964 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD J. BEECH ER United States Patent 3,298,776 PORTABLE AUTOCLAVE Donald J. Beecher, Erie, Pa., assignor to American Sterilizer Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 390,971 1 Claim. (CI. 21-98) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 200,475, filed June 6, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to autoclaves and, more particularly, to portable autoclaves for sterilizing medical supplies and the like.

The present invention relates to a portable autoclave having its own self-contained water supply built into it in such a way that the entire construction is compact, economical, and efiicient.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties and disadvantages in prior autoclaves and, more particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved autoclave.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable autoclave Which is self-contained.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable autoclave having a self-contained liquid supply built into it in such a way that it takes up a minimum amount of space.

A further object of the invention is to provide an autoclave which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an autoclave according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the autoclave shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the water supply system including portable gas unit.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, an autoclave 10 is shown having a main pressure tank in the form of a closed tank contained in a cover 15. The main tank is supported on vertically extending front corner members 11. The front spaced corner members 11 and rear spaced corner members 12 are held in rigid spaced relation by upper, longitudinally extending members 13, lower, longitudinally extending members 14, and intermediate longitudinally extending members 21.

The sterilizer shown may have for example internal dimensions of 16" diameter x 36" long of its inner chamber 38. It features a steam jacket 39 for fast operation and good drying. The entire unit is of welded corrosion resistant aluminum alloy construction for light weight.

Water is retained in the jacket of the machine and is heated by fire beneath it, the hot gases being directed around the shell and out a vent pipe at the top of the machine. A water level indicator gauge 41 is at the rear of the machine, the sight glass being resiliently mounted to prevent breakage. Steam is taken from the top front of the jacket and introduced into the chamber at the top rear. A bafiie deflects the steam through the chamber and exhaust air leaves at the front bottom of the chamber through a removable screened outlet 42.

The machine is designed to utilize the jacket as a steam 3,298,776 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 ice boiler. The steam is produced by heat from a natural or bottled gas burner 37, or electric immersion heaters 49 inside the jacket. It can also be connected directly to a steam supply line. The conversion from one source of heat to another is accomplished with a minimum of modification. For emergency purposes, the sterilizer might be kept as a package in storage with the conversion kits stored in its interior. In an emergency this package would then assure sterilizing facilities in the most trying situations.

Water tanks 22 are provided to store water during sterilizing cycles. The tanks are located in the upper part of the machine frame and as such the water is slightly pre-heated. A clean-out cover is provided at the rear of the machine to remove foreign accumulations in the jacket.

The sterilizer is equipped with a single control multiport valve and vacuum drying system. With this arrangement a single control valve directs the steam flow and exhaust by means of successive positions of the control knob. Provision is made for fast or slow exhaust and vacuum drying. During the vacuum drying, a slight vacuum is created in the chamber and clean, filtered air is then introduced into the chamber and ejected to atmosphere. By means of this system, drying of the load is accomplished with the chamber door closed, minimizing the danger of contamination by outside air currents.

In the event gas and electric power sources are not available, a gasoline stove may be substituted for the electrical and gas heating elements and may be used in the firebox.

The members 11, 12, 13, 14, and 21 all may be made of structural angles which may be made of steel, aluminum, or the like welded together to make up a rigid frame. The frame is held together by front upper transverse members 16, rear transverse members 17, the front lower transverse members 18, and rear transverse members 19, all of which are likewise made up of structural steel, aluminum, or the like.

The front lower transverse frame member 18, the lower member 14, and the rear transverse member 19 are used to support a platform which may be used to support a firebox member 27.

The cover 15 is in the form of a half cylinder with its edges extended downwardly and they are attached to the frame members 21 -by fasteners 24. The half cylinder is generally concentric to the upper part of the pressure tank. Suitable insulation and/or air space is disposed between the pressure tank and the cover.

The frame is supported on removable legs 25 which can be removed by disconnecting fasteners 26. With the legs 25 removed, the autoclave occupies considerably less space for transportation and storage.

The autoclave may be provided with any suitable heating system. For example, it can be heated by means of electric heat, gas heat, or steam heat, depending upon the environment in which it is to be used and the availability of fuel.

The fire box member 27 has a sliding door 28 which provides access to the controls to the stove or heating unit 37. The door 28 may be removed and the stove 37 thereby had access to. The door 23 is swingably attached to the frame by a hinge 20. The door 23 has a clamping mechanism 29 for clamping the door in sealed relation. The door clamping mechanism has radially extending arms 35, the ends of which extend under a rim 36.

Cylindrical liquid tanks 22 are of substantially the same length as the main pressure tank. They could be made shorter than shown in order to provide a space at the rear end thereof for a control 31. The two liquid supply tanks 22 are considerably smaller in diameter than the main pressure tank and they fit into the space defined by the cover 15 and the longitudinally extending upper members 13.

Gauges 32 are supported on the front of the autoclave and these gauges can be used to read pressures, temperatures or other operative conditions in the autoclave.

When the autoclave is to be put into use, the legs 25 may be put in place and a suitable amount of liquid, such as water, can be admitted into the main pressure tank from the liquid tanks 22. This liquid may be heated by the heating system of the autoclave whereby it is turned into vapor which will attain a high pressure and temperature within the sealed autoclave. The autoclave can be transported with its own water supply in the tanks 22. The heat from the main tank preheats the water in the small tanks due to their proximate location to the main tank.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

An autoclave comprising a generally cylindrical pressure tank,

two spaced corner members at each end of said tank, 3

longitudinal frame members connecting the opposite ends of said corner members at one end of said tank to the respective ends of said corner members at the other end of said tank,

transverse frame members connecting the ends of said corner members at each end of said tank,

said corner members, a part of said pressure tank, and said longitudinal frame members defining a space generally triangular in cross section above and to each side of said pressure tank,

two elongated generally cylindrical liquid tanks having their longitudinal axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pressure tank,

one said liquid tank being disposed in each said space,

means connecting each said liquid tank in fluid flow relation with the inside of said pressure tank,

means to selectively admit liquid from said liquid tanks to said pressure tank,

a fire box on said frame below said pressure tank,

and heating means in said first box for said pressure tank on said autoclave,

said heating means being a gasoline fired stove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 583,514 6/1897 Sprague 2198 1,795,784 3/1931 Lindberg 2198 1,930,551 10/1933 Blashfield 2198 2,398,770 4/1946 Cleaver et al 21-98 2,526,974 10/1950 Schipanski. 2,613,130 10/1952 Jewell et al. 21-96 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,668 AD. 1897 Great Britain. 548,139 9/1942 Great Britain.

MORRIS O. VVOLK, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Examiner.

J. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner, 

